Daniel Ho’s Accessible Melodies

Pianist-keyboardist Daniel Ho led the group Kilauea in six highly successful smooth-jazz albums in the early ‘80s. In its better moments, the band blended the lyricism of Hawaiian traditional music with the catchy hooks of contemporary pop-jazz.

But Ho, who was born on the island of Oahu, never quite found Kilauea to be a sufficiently versatile vehicle for his musical interests, which also embraced traditional and contemporary slack key guitar playing, alternative pop, songwriting and singing. On Friday night at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center Plaza in downtown Los Angeles, he offered an attractive overview of his numerous skills.

Starting out with a solo slack key guitar version of the popular traditional song “Hawaii Aloha,” he then moved to an electric keyboard instrument and was joined by bassist Steve Billman and drummer Randy Drake for a group of Kilauea numbers, including “Waimea Bay,” “When You Grow Up” and “Exotic Isle.” He finished off the set with newer material, making what he described as his debut appearance as a singer, backed by a quartet of vocalists (Faith Rivera, Christa Gates, Siena Lee and Denise Tajiri).

Ho never claimed to be an especially gifted improviser.

In an interview a decade ago, when he still led Kilauea, he minimized his spontaneous inventive skills in favor of his interest in melody and communication. And his set at the downtown plaza underscored the accuracy of his perception.

His playing--on guitar and keyboard--emphasized melody, occasionally adding some surprisingly rich harmonies, but for the most part stressing accessible themes underscored by foot-tapping rhythms.

Ironically, in the process he affirmed--even in his vocal numbers--the comfortable linkage between smooth jazz and his Hawaiian musical interests. If anything, Ho’s program made one wonder why he has abandoned his connection with Kilauea, a group concept to which he seems so well suited.

The duo Skyler Blue (singers Lee and Tajiri, who also played guitar) and solo artist Rivera opened the program with brief sets of their gentle, folk-oriented tunes.